Programme Manager – Seas of Change job at SNV | Apply Now

SNV is an international development organisation that applies practical know-how to make a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty. We use our extensive and long-term in-country presence to apply and adapt our expertise in agriculture, energy and WASH to local contexts. SNV has annual revenues of over €120 million, and 1300 staff working in 25 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America. We are proud to be a not-for-profit organisation that uses project financing to implement our mission.

Overview of the assignment: 

Stagnating poverty, unpredictable shocks, due to climate change, ecological degradation, rising social inequalities, declining food security and challenges in achieving the required just energy transition will continue to be an issue in the coming decades, negatively impacting incomes, livelihoods, and productivity. Energy is a critical element of any agri-food system; it is largely driven by fossil fuels and the large, centralised machinery it powers is often inefficient and inappropriate to the needs of small food producers. Despite the intricate linkages between the two sectors, solutions are largely siloed, short-term in nature, and lessons are not shared. The result is further inefficiencies and outcomes that can even prove to be counter-productive in the broader ecosystem.

It is imperative to re-think the linkages between agri-food and energy systems to alleviate the pressures on socio-economic conditions and natural resources that perpetuate poverty. Traditional, extractive, energy-intensive, centralised models around the supply, consumption, and disposal of food and energy need to be challenged. SNV believes an approach is required that can bridge the gap between these sectors, break silos and shape solutions that work with and for the targeted ecosystem actors.

The Seas of Change Uganda programme is envisioned as a 10-year programme in two implementation phases that will work at the nexus of the regenerative agriculture (RA) and productive use of renewable energy (PURE) areas. The programme will apply an innovative hybrid implementation model where it leverages existing initiatives and expertise within the ecosystem and connects actors to facilitate processes and encourage synergies. The programme is therefore not a traditional development programme that focuses purely on on-the-ground implementation by SNV and a select consortium of partners. Instead, the programme will seek to identify and work with partners already operating within the RA and/or PURE space and empower them to work within the nexus space. SNV’s role is therefore better described as one that convenes (bringing actors together), catalyses (catalyses multi-sector and multi-actor partnerships for action-oriented collaboration), capacitates (strengthening local organisations in the RA-PURE ecosystem), and co-creates (with partners based on their aspirations).

The Seas of Change Uganda programme falls under the Strategic Partnership umbrella programme. The Strategic Partnership programme will provide strategic steering and support to the RA-PURE nexus portfolio (in and beyond SNV), with dedicated programmes towards advancing the RA-PURE nexus in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The Strategic Partnership programme team will work with in-country programme teams to build a movement around the RA-PURE nexus, helping to connect (cross-country) programmes and initiatives to exchange knowledge and learnings, build on existing networks, and drive investment initiatives at a global level.